Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Afterward Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh. "Thus says the Lord God of Israel," they said, "Let my people go, that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness."

Pharaoh replied, "Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go." The officials who were present at this time spoke up, saying, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us; please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword."

But Pharaoh said to them, "Why do you, Moses and Aaron, let the people abandon their work? Get back to your burdens. The people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens." He commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, "You shall no longer give them straw to make bricks as they have been doing; let them go and gather straw for themselves.

The taskmasters were to lay upon them the same amount of bricks they made previously, without diminishing anything, because they are idle and cry out, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' Let there be even more work laid on the men." The taskmasters of the people went out and said to them, "Thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

Go, gather straw where you can find it, but your workload will not be reduced. The people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. The taskmasters hurried them, saying, "Complete your daily tasks just as you did when straw was available."

The officers whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over the Israelites were beaten and demanded, "Why have you not fulfilled your task in making bricks both yesterday and today, as was customary?" The officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, "Why are you treating your servants in such a harsh manner?

There is no straw given to your servants, and they demand that we make bricks; behold, your servants are beaten, but the fault lies with your own people." He said, "You are idle; you are idle: therefore you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.'"

Go now and work, for no straw will be provided for you, yet you are still expected to deliver the usual number of bricks. The officers of the Israelites saw that they were in a desperate situation after it was said to them, "You will not reduce your daily quota of bricks." They met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh.

The officials said to them, "May God see what you have done and judge you, because you have made Pharaoh and his servants hate us." Moses returned to the Lord and said, "Lord, why have you treated this people so harshly? Why did you send me? Since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people; you have not delivered them at all.